Endoscopic visualization may be used to diagnose and/or treat any number of conditions in the gastric, pulmonary, and urologic tracts. Endoscopes may be used to not only navigate to a target site, but also to provide adequate visualization at the target site for diagnosis and/or treatment.
Typical endoscopic systems may include a reusable endoscope, as well as separate pieces of capital equipment. For example, the capital equipment of a traditional endoscopic system may include an image processing unit and a separate light source unit. In some endoscopes, glass fiber bundles may transmit light from the proximal end, where light may be introduced from the light source, to the distal end of the endoscope. This may have a number of disadvantages. A reusable endoscope may require cleaning/sterilization following every procedure. Every cleaning cycle may potentially lead to damage of the endoscope, possibly necessitating expensive repairs. In addition, there may be a risk of reusing incorrectly/insufficiently cleaned endoscopes.
Furthermore, prior to use, the endoscope may be connected to the capital equipment. That may entail making multiple connections: an electrical connection to transmit image or video signals from the endoscope to the image processing unit, and an illumination connection to transmit light from the light source to the endoscope. Establishing multiple connections may require more user interaction and setup time. Having multiple separate units of capital equipment may also require more space within a facility.